The Power Construction Philosophy
Imagine you're a master chef with an unlimited pantry. You have basic ingredients (the base powers), seasonings and spices (advantages), and cooking techniques (limitations). With these tools, you can create anything from a simple sandwich to a five-star gourmet meal. The Champions power system works the same way - it gives you the ingredients and techniques to build any superpower ever conceived.
Unlike systems that give you a list of pre-made powers to choose from, Champions treats powers like building blocks. Want Superman's heat vision? Build it. Want something completely original like the ability to turn sound into solid matter? Build it. Want Magneto's magnetic control but only over gold? Build it with limitations. The system is infinitely flexible because it's based on universal principles.
The Universal Power Framework
Every power in Champions, no matter how exotic, is built from the same components. Think of it like a universal language that can express any concept:
Base Powers: The Foundation
Base powers are like the fundamental forces of physics - everything else builds from these core concepts. Let's explore the major categories:
🎯 Attack Powers
Core Concept: Powers that damage or affect targets
Blast
What it does: Ranged attack doing Normal damage (called Energy Blast in older editions)
Examples: Laser beams, fire blasts, force bolts, lightning
Cost: 5 points per d6 of damage
Comic Example: Cyclops' optic blasts, Iron Man's repulsors
Killing Attack
What it does: Lethal damage (bullets, blades, claws)
Examples: Energy swords, razor claws, death rays
Cost: 15 points per d6 of killing damage
Comic Example: Wolverine's claws, Deadshot's bullets
Hand-to-Hand Attack
What it does: Adds damage to punches and kicks
Examples: Super strength, martial arts techniques
Cost: 5 points per d6 before its built-in Hand-to-Hand Limitation; the dice add to your STR damage
Comic Example: Luke Cage's strength, Iron Fist's chi
🛡️ Defense Powers
Core Concept: Powers that protect you from harm
Damage Resistance
What it does: Makes PD and ED you already have Resistant, so they stop Killing damage
Examples: Tough skin, dense bones, natural armor
Cost: Cheap per point, because it adds no new defense
Comic Example: Superman's invulnerability, Iron Man's armor
Damage Reduction
What it does: Reduces damage by a percentage (25%, 50% or 75%)
Examples: Partial phasing, probability manipulation
Cost: Rises steeply with the percentage, and more against Killing damage
Comic Example: Kitty Pryde's phasing, Domino's luck
Resistant Protection
What it does: Adds new Resistant PD and ED on top of what you have (the old Force Field and Armor powers)
Examples: Energy shields, powered armor, force fields
Cost: 3 points per 2 points of defense (10 PD/10 ED = 30 points)
Comic Example: Invisible Woman's fields, Green Lantern's constructs
💨 Movement Powers
Core Concept: Powers that change how you move through space
Flight
What it does: Move through the air in any direction
Examples: Wings, anti-gravity, magnetic levitation
Cost: 1 point per metre (20m of Flight = 20 points)
Comic Example: Superman's flight, Storm's wind riding
Teleportation
What it does: Instantly move from place to place
Examples: Dimensional rifts, molecular dispersal
Cost: Priced per metre of distance, like the other movement powers
Comic Example: Nightcrawler's bamfing, Doctor Strange's portals
Super Speed
What it does: Move incredibly fast on foot (extra Running, often with a higher SPD)
Examples: Enhanced metabolism, time dilation
Cost: Everyone starts with 12m of Running; you buy extra metres on top
Comic Example: The Flash's speed force, Quicksilver's velocity
🧠 Mental Powers
Core Concept: Powers that affect minds and thoughts
Mind Control
What it does: Control another person's actions
Examples: Telepathic domination, hypnotic gaze
Cost: Priced per d6 of effect, like Telepathy
Comic Example: Professor X's telepathy, Purple Man's pheromones
Telepathy
What it does: Read thoughts and communicate mentally
Examples: Psychic contact, emotional sensing
Cost: 5 points per d6 of effect
Comic Example: Jean Grey's mind reading, Mantis' empathy
Mental Defense
What it does: Protect against mental attacks
Examples: Mental shields, disciplined mind
Cost: Bought point by point, like any other defense
Comic Example: Magneto's helmet, trained resistance
Advantages: Enhancing Your Powers
Advantages are like turbocharging your car's engine or adding premium features. They make your powers more effective, but they also increase the cost. Think of advantages as answering "How can I make this power even better?"
Common Advantages and Their Effects
Area of Effect (varies)
What it does: Affects everyone in an area
Example: Fireball that explodes, ice blast that freezes everyone nearby
Cost Multiplier: Depends on the shape and size of the area; bigger areas cost more
Hero Example: Human Torch's nova blast affecting everything around him
Armor Piercing (+¼)
What it does: The target's defenses count as half against this attack
Example: Laser that cuts through steel, a blade that slips between armor plates
Cost Multiplier: ×1.25
Hero Example: Psylocke's psychic knife, Cyclops' focused beams
Autofire (varies)
What it does: Can hit multiple times with one attack
Example: Machine gun effect, rapid-fire energy bolts
Cost Multiplier: Depends on how many shots you fire per attack
Hero Example: War Machine's gatling guns, Multiple Man's duplicate attacks
Penetrating (+½)
What it does: Some damage always gets through, even if the target's defenses are higher than the roll
Example: Attacks that always hurt, even against heavily armored targets
Cost Multiplier: ×1.5
Hero Example: Wolverine's claws always cutting through
Invisible Power Effects (varies)
What it does: Power effects can't be perceived
Example: Invisible force bolts, undetectable telepathy
Cost Multiplier: Depends on how many senses it fools
Hero Example: Invisible Woman's invisible force blasts
Double Knockback (varies)
What it does: Sends targets flying much farther (Blasts and punches already do Knockback)
Example: Concussive blasts, super punches with impact
Cost Multiplier: See Champions Complete for the exact value
Hero Example: Cannonball's blast effect, Thor's hammer strikes
Stacking Advantages: Add, Then Multiply
Here's where Champions gets mathematically elegant. Multiple Advantages add together first, and the total multiplies the base cost: Active Points = (base cost) × (1 + total Advantages). The power also costs 1 END per 10 Active Points each time you use it.
Example: Building Thor's Lightning
Base Power: Blast 12d6 (12 × 5 = 60 points)
Add Advantages:
- Armor Piercing (+¼) - lightning arcs through armor
- Penetrating (+½) - nobody shrugs off a thunderbolt completely
Total Advantages: +¼ + +½ = +¾, so the multiplier is ×(1 + 0.75) = ×1.75
Active Points: 60 × 1.75 = 105 Active Points
END: 105 ÷ 10 = 10.5, rounded in the character's favor = 10 END per use
Limitations: The Discount System
Limitations are like buying a sports car that only runs on premium fuel or a smartphone that only works with one carrier. They give you discounts on powerful abilities by adding realistic restrictions. Smart use of limitations lets you build more powerful characters within your point budget.
The Philosophy of Limitations
Good limitations should enhance your character's story, not just provide cheap points. They answer questions like:
- "What makes this power interesting rather than just powerful?"
- "What challenges does having this ability create?"
- "How does this limitation reflect my character's personality or origin?"
Common Limitations and Their Applications
Only in Heroic Identity (-¼)
Restriction: Can only use power when in costume/hero mode
Story Impact: Forces dramatic moments about revealing identity
Cost Reduction: ÷1.25 (20% discount)
Example: Captain Marvel can only access powers as Shazam, not Billy Batson
Requires a Roll (-½)
Restriction: Must make a Skill Roll to activate power
Story Impact: Creates tension - will the power work when needed?
Cost Reduction: ÷1.5 (33% discount)
Example: Doctor Strange must succeed at Sorcery rolls to cast spells
Gestures (-¼)
Restriction: Must be able to move hands to use power
Story Impact: Vulnerable when restrained or injured
Cost Reduction: ÷1.25 (20% discount)
Example: Doctor Strange's hand gestures for spells
Incantations (-¼)
Restriction: Must be able to speak to use power
Story Impact: Useless when gagged or in vacuum
Cost Reduction: ÷1.25 (20% discount)
Example: Zatanna's backwards magic words
Limited Power (varies)
Restriction: Power only works against specific things or in specific situations
Story Impact: Highly effective in niche, useless otherwise
Cost Reduction: The rarer the power works, the bigger the Limitation
Example: Magneto's powers only affect metal
Charges (varies)
Restriction: Limited number of uses (but no END cost)
Story Impact: Must conserve power for crucial moments
Cost Reduction: Fewer Charges means a bigger Limitation
Example: Green Lantern's ring running out of power
Limitation Mathematics
Unlike advantages that multiply costs upward, limitations divide costs downward. Multiple limitations add together before dividing: Real Points = Active Points ÷ (1 + total Limitations). Limitations never lower the Active Points, so they don't reduce the END cost either.
Example: Building Cyclops' Optic Blast
Base Power: Blast 12d6 (12 × 5 = 60 points)
Advantages: Armor Piercing (+¼): 60 × 1.25 = 75 Active Points (75 ÷ 10 = 7.5, so 7 END per use)
Limitations:
- Obvious Inaccessible Focus (-½) - the ruby-quartz visor everyone can see
- Gestures (-¼) - he has to touch the visor's trigger to fire
Total Limitations: -½ + -¼ = -¾
Final Cost: 75 ÷ (1 + 0.75) = 42.86, rounded to 43 Real Points
Power Construction Workshop
Let's build some iconic superpowers from scratch to see how the system works in practice. Each example shows the thought process from concept to finished power:
Building Spider-Man's Web-Swinging
Step 1: Identify the Core Effect
Spider-Man shoots webs to swing through the city. This is primarily a movement power.
Step 2: Choose Base Power
Swinging: This is like limited flight - he can move through the air but needs something to swing from. (Champions Complete also has a dedicated Swinging power; we use Flight here because its cost is simple.)
Base: Flight 20m at 1 point per metre = 20 points (20 Active Points, 2 END per use)
Step 3: Add Advantages
None needed - basic web-swinging doesn't need enhancement
Step 4: Apply Limitations
- Inobvious Accessible Focus (-½): The web-shooters hide under his sleeves, but a villain can pull them off
- Gestures (-¼): He has to aim and press the triggers with his fingers
Total Limitations: -½ + -¼ = -¾
Needing buildings to swing from is a further Limitation your GM can price (see Limited Power above).
Step 5: Calculate Final Cost
20 ÷ (1 + 0.75) = 11.43, rounded to 11 Real Points
We've built realistic web-swinging that's effective but has clear limitations!
Building Jean Grey's Telekinetic Bolt
Step 1: Identify the Core Effect
A hammer of telekinetic force that slams into a target from range
Step 2: Choose Base Power
Blast: 10d6 at 5 points per d6 = 50 points (special effect: telekinetic force)
Step 3: Add Advantages
- Penetrating (+½): Raw mental force always gets some damage through
Active Points: 50 × (1 + 0.5) = 75 Active Points
END: 75 ÷ 10 = 7.5, rounded in her favor = 7 END per use
Step 4: Apply Limitations
- Requires a Roll (-½): She must make a Skill Roll to focus her mind under pressure
- Gestures (-¼): The classic hand to the temple
Total Limitations: -½ + -¼ = -¾
Step 5: Calculate Final Cost
75 ÷ (1 + 0.75) = 42.86, rounded to 43 Real Points
Hard-hitting but unreliable under stress - perfect for a telekinetic on the edge!
Special Effects: The Story Layer
Special effects are the narrative wrapper around your mechanical powers. They don't change the game mechanics, but they define how the power looks, feels, and fits into your character's story. Think of special effects as the difference between "Blast 10d6" and "Cyclops shoots devastating ruby-red beams from his eyes that can cut through steel."
The Same Power, Different Stories
Blast 8d6 with Five Different Special Effects
🔥 Fire Blast
Description: Shoots gouts of flame from hands
Visuals: Orange-red flames, heat distortion, smoke
Sound: Roaring whoosh, crackling
Aftermath: Scorch marks, lingering heat
❄️ Ice Beam
Description: Crystalline beam of absolute cold
Visuals: Blue-white crystal beam, frost forming
Sound: Sharp crackling, tinkling ice
Aftermath: Ice patches, frozen surfaces
⚡ Lightning Bolt
Description: Electrical discharge from fingertips
Visuals: Jagged blue-white energy, sparks
Sound: Thunder crack, electrical buzzing
Aftermath: Ozone smell, electrical burns
🌟 Force Bolt
Description: Pure kinetic energy projectile
Visuals: Shimmering distortion in air
Sound: Deep thrum, impact boom
Aftermath: Dented surfaces, no other trace
🧠 Psychic Lance
Description: Mental energy made manifest
Visuals: Faint purple-pink glow
Sound: High-pitched whine, psychic feedback
Aftermath: Temporal disorientation in target
Guidelines for Great Special Effects
🎨 Be Vivid and Specific
Instead of "energy blast," describe "crackling bolts of amber lightning that smell like ozone and leave spiral burn patterns."
🔗 Connect to Character
A firefighter's flame powers might smell like wood smoke, while a chef's fire might smell like cooking spices.
⚖️ Maintain Game Balance
Special effects are cosmetic - they don't provide mechanical advantages without paying points.
🎭 Create Signature Style
Your effects should be unique enough that other characters could recognize your power's "signature."
Try It at the Table
Challenge: Power Deconstruction
Take these famous superhero abilities and break them down into Champions components:
Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth
Effects: Forces people to tell the truth, unbreakable, can extend to great lengths
Your Task: What base power(s)? What advantages? What limitations?
Green Lantern's Power Ring
Effects: Creates solid constructs from willpower, flight, force fields, must be recharged daily
Your Task: How would you build this as multiple related powers?
The Flash's Speed Force
Effects: Super speed, vibrate through walls, time travel, speed-sharing with others
Your Task: What's the base power? How do you handle the secondary effects?
Challenge: Original Power Creation
Design three completely original powers using this framework:
Power Concept: "Emotion Manipulation"
Base Idea: Character can create, amplify, or suppress emotions in others
Your Challenge:
- What base power represents this?
- What advantages make it more versatile?
- What limitations keep it balanced?
- What special effects make it unique?
Power Concept: "Gravity Painting"
Base Idea: Character can paint areas where gravity works differently
Your Challenge: Build this as both utility and combat power
Power Concept: "Memory Crystals"
Base Idea: Character can store memories in crystal formations
Your Challenge: How does this work as information gathering and sharing?
Challenge: Power Balancing Workshop
You have 60 points to spend on a single power. Design three different versions:
Base Power: Telekinesis (choose your own strength level)
Goal: See how different advantage/limitation combinations create different play styles